Rafael Nadal withdraws from Western and Southern Open

An injury will prevent World No. 2 Rafael Nadal from returning to defend his men's singles titles at the Rogers Cup in Canada and the Western & Southern Open in Mason.

The Spaniard hurt his right wrist Tuesday and is expected to miss the next two to three weeks. The timing couldn't be worse, as he was slated to defend ranking points in the back-to-back Masters 1000 events. Two thousand points will come off his ranking.

"Unfortunately I injured my right wrist yesterday during practice and after the tests I have undergone today in Spain, including an MRI, and checking with my doctors, I will have to stay out of competition for at least two to three weeks. I am sorry and wish the best to the tournament and thank all of the fans for their support," Nadal said in a statement.

"I am extremely disappointed that I am unable to defend my titles and compete in Toronto and Cincinnati this year. I was looking forward to coming and playing again after my great results last year."

Nadal is one of five players to withdraw from the W&S Open due to injury, joining Nicolas Almagro (foot), Alexandr Dolgopolov (knee), Tommy Haas (shoulder) and Florian Mayer (groin). The withdrawals have allowed five players direct entry into the field – former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, Julien Benneteau, Denis Istomin, Yen-Hsun Lu and Gilles Simon.

Last summer Nadal collapsed on his back in elation after a match-ending shot from the baseline secured his W&S Open championship victory over American John Isner. He hoisted the tourney's championship cup for the first time in his career.

"It is very unfortunate that Rafa is unable to defend his title," W&S Open tournament director Vince Cicero said. "He is a great champion, and his run to the title last year electrified our fans. We will miss him and we wish him a very speedy recovery."

The men's field still has 23 of the top 25 ranked men's players, including five-time champion Roger Federer, two-time winner Andy Murray and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The Serb could complete a career Masters 1000 sweep with a title at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

The WTA's 39 top-ranked players are on the initial entry list for the women's tournament.

The W&S Open is one of five tennis events in the world beyond Grand Slams where the top ATP World Tour and WTA players compete in the same week at the same venue. Fans from all 50 states and 30 countries are expected to watch competition unfold in the 56-player fields.